The short-term blood biocompatibility of poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-methyl methacrylate) in an in vitro flow system measured by digital videomicroscopy

Abstract

An in vitro flow system for short-term blood biocompatibility testing of solution-castable polymeric biomaterials was developed. This system was relatively free of artefacts resulting from blood contact with materials other than the test material itself. In conjunction with epifluorescence videomicroscopy and digital image processing, this method provided a high resolution, quantitative, continuous analysis of platelet adhesion, aggregation, thrombus formation, and embolization on the biomaterial surface. This system was well suited for performing biochemical assays on post-contact blood for assessment of platelet activation and release as additional measures of the thrombogenicity of the test material. This method for biomaterials evaluation in vitro was demonstrated by a detailed examination of copolymers of hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and methyl methacrylate (MMA). Videomicroscopic analysis of fluorescently labelled platelets adhering per unit area of the polymer surface after 5 min of flow at a wall shear rate of 500 s^-1 showed a dramatic decrease with increasing HEMA fraction in the polymer. The release of serotonin and thromboxane A₂ by platelets decreased with increasing HEMA fraction. Reflection interference contrast microscopy was used to examine focal contacts of platelets on the copolymer surfaces as a qualitative measure of the platelet-surface interaction. A polymer-dependent gradation in contact extent and morphology was observed, ranging from large contacts on P(MMA) to none on P(HEMA).